The Eye of The World: Chapter 3
=The Peddler= Synopsis The peddler Padan Fain's wagon crosses the Wagon Bridge and halts in front of the Winespring Inn. The Village Council emerge from the inn and approach the peddler, who busies himself with his wagon. Rand and Mat squeeze through the crowd up behind the Council, to be joined by Perrin. Fain finally gets up to speak. He says that the rest of the world has also experienced a harsh winter and late spring, but worse than that, there is war in Ghealdan, a man claiming to be the Dragon Reborn at its heart. The crowd exclaims about this, this being the third False Dragon in the last five years. Only Cenn Buie questions whether this might not be the real Dragon Reborn. Fain can't say, but he does say the man can wield the One Power. Ewin points out that only women should channel, that men who channel waste away and die. Buie reacts angrily to the implied mention of Aes Sedai, but Fain says that Aes Sedai have already ridden from Tar Valon to deal with the False Dragon. Bran al'Vere asks the peddler to come into the inn to talk to the Village Council, promising that he will return to sell to his waiting customers. Mat, Rand and Perrin talk after the rest of the adults go off. Mat wonders if he'll get to see the False Dragon, and says he heard a story once that the Dragon would be reborn in mankind's darkest need, and save them all, but Perrin is skeptical, and Mat says that Nynaeve was, too. They also argue whether all Aes Sedai are actually Darkfriends. Nynaeve joins them, giving Mat a tongue-lashing for his loose talk about Bili Congar. It takes Rand a few moments to notice that Egwene is with her. He tells Nynaeve of Padan Fain's news, and how the Council is talking to him now. Nynaeve mutters that it will doubtless take the Women's Circle to get any actual useful information, and goes into the inn. Rand is left with Egwene. He asks her to dance on Bel Tine, and she says she will, in the afternoon; he sees her braided hair and realizes that she is now of marriageable age. She says that Nynaeve has told her she might be able to become a Wisdom, since she can listen to the wind, though she might have to cross the Taren River to find a village. She says she wants to see the world outside the Two Rivers. Mat and Perrin come over, and say that Perrin also saw the black rider, and also received a coin from Moiraine. Egwene isn't impressed by their stories of the black rider, though. Character List Appearing: *Brandelwyn al'Vere *Cenn Buie *Egwene al'Vere *Ewin Finngar *Haral Luhhan *Hu *Matrim Cauthon *Nynaeve al'Meara *Padan Fain *Perrin Aybara *Rand al'Thor *Samel Crawe *Tad *Tam al'Thor *Wit Congar Mentioned: *Ayellin, Mistress *Bili Congar Terms Mentioned Places *Aiel Waste *Aryth Ocean *Blight *Borderlands *Dhallin Forest *Emond's Field *Ghealdan *Green *Illian *Sea of Storms *Taren Ferry *Taren River *Tar Valon *Two Rivers *Wagon Bridge Terms *Aes Sedai *Age of Legends *Bel Tine *Breaking of The World *Channeling *Children of The Light *Congar *Coplin *Darkfriend *Dark One *Dragon *Dragon Reborn *False Dragon *Festival *Gleeman *Light *One Power *Spring Pole *Time of Madness *Village Council *Wisdom *Women's Circle 01.03